2022
mTOR inhibition prevents angiotensin II–induced aortic rupture and pseudoaneurysm but promotes dissection in Apoe-deficient mice
He C, Jiang B, Wang M, Ren P, Murtada SI, Caulk AW, Li G, Qin L, Assi R, Lovoulos CJ, Schwartz MA, Humphrey JD, Tellides G. mTOR inhibition prevents angiotensin II–induced aortic rupture and pseudoaneurysm but promotes dissection in Apoe-deficient mice. JCI Insight 2022, 7: e155815. PMID: 35132962, PMCID: PMC8855820, DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.155815.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsApoE-deficient miceAngiotensin IIVascular wall cellsAortic tearAortic ruptureMTOR inhibitionSmooth muscle cell hypertrophyMatricellular proteinWall cellsSuprarenal abdominal aortaMuscle cell hypertrophyExtracellular matrix accumulationInhibition of mTORRole of mTORSubadventitial hematomaFree ruptureAortic dissectionAortic diseaseAortic aneurysmSignificant dissectionAbdominal aortaHemorrhagic lesionsExtensive dissectionMetalloproteinase expressionCell hypertrophyGrowth rate of ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms in a non-referral-based population
Weininger G, Mori M, Yousef S, Hur DJ, Assi R, Geirsson A, Vallabhajosyula P. Growth rate of ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms in a non-referral-based population. Journal Of Cardiothoracic Surgery 2022, 17: 14. PMID: 35109884, PMCID: PMC8812194, DOI: 10.1186/s13019-022-01761-6.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAneurysm growth rateAortic dilatationAortic aneurysmStudy populationCT scanInitial aneurysm sizeTrue natural historyPatients age 50High-risk patientsMedian time intervalLarge institutional databaseThoracic aortic aneurysmComputed tomography scanAortic aneurysm diseaseRisk patientsAortic sizeInstitutional databaseTomography scanAneurysm diseaseRadiologic diagnosisAneurysm sizeBackgroundPrior studiesAge 50PatientsNatural history
2021
Socioeconomic disparities in surveillance and follow‐up of patients with thoracic aortic aneurysm
Shang M, Weininger G, Mori M, Kahler‐Quesada A, Degife E, Brooks C, Yousef S, Williams M, Assi R, Geirsson A, Vallabhajosyula P. Socioeconomic disparities in surveillance and follow‐up of patients with thoracic aortic aneurysm. Journal Of Cardiac Surgery 2021, 37: 831-839. PMID: 34873754, DOI: 10.1111/jocs.16173.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAortic aneurysmArea Deprivation IndexCardiovascular specialistsSocioeconomic statusSurgical interventionAneurysm sizeReferral of patientsRisk of deathSignificant risk factorsThoracic aortic aneurysmComputed tomography scanLowest socioeconomic quartileLow socioeconomic statusLower Socioeconomic StatusADI quartileAortic surveillanceAortic dissectionConsecutive patientsPrimary outcomeSpecialist referralSurgical repairTimely followSurveillance imagingRisk regressionRisk factorsDevelopment and Validation of a Predictive Model to Identify Patients With an Ascending Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm
Mori M, Gan G, Deng Y, Yousef S, Weininger G, Daggula KR, Agarwal R, Shang M, Assi R, Geirsson A, Vallabhajosyula P. Development and Validation of a Predictive Model to Identify Patients With an Ascending Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm. Journal Of The American Heart Association 2021, 10: e022102. PMID: 34743563, PMCID: PMC8751931, DOI: 10.1161/jaha.121.022102.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsThoracic aortic aneurysmAortic aneurysmPatient riskTomography scanHigher body surface areaTertiary care centerAortic valve diseaseHistory of arrhythmiaAvailable clinical informationBody surface areaScreening of patientsCross-sectional studyRisk prediction algorithmAscending Thoracic Aortic AneurysmsLogistic regression modelsClinical characteristicsAortic dissectionUnique patientsValve diseaseC-statisticFemale sexThoracic aortaCare centerComorbidity variablesMultivariable modelQuantitative not qualitative histology differentiates aneurysmal from nondilated ascending aortas and reveals a net gain of medial components
Yousef S, Matsumoto N, Dabe I, Mori M, Landry AB, Lee SR, Kawamura Y, Yang C, Li G, Assi R, Vallabhajosyula P, Geirsson A, Moeckel G, Humphrey JD, Tellides G. Quantitative not qualitative histology differentiates aneurysmal from nondilated ascending aortas and reveals a net gain of medial components. Scientific Reports 2021, 11: 13185. PMID: 34162971, PMCID: PMC8222259, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-92659-1.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMedial degenerationAortic aneurysmSporadic thoracic aortic aneurysmMedial cell numberCommon histopathological findingThoracic aortic aneurysmSmooth muscle cellsAortic dilatationHistopathological findingsAscending aortaHistopathological criteriaAneurysmal wallLumen dilatationClinical diagnosisMuscle cellsAneurysmsAortaDegenerationDilatationMural cellsMarked overlapElastic lamellaeMedial componentCell numberMedial tissuePatterns of Surveillance Imaging for Incidentally Detected Ascending Aortic Aneurysms
Weininger G, Mori M, Shang M, Degife E, Amick M, Yousef S, Assi R, Milewski R, Geirsson A, Vallabhajosyula P. Patterns of Surveillance Imaging for Incidentally Detected Ascending Aortic Aneurysms. The Annals Of Thoracic Surgery 2021, 113: 125-130. PMID: 33609548, DOI: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2021.02.010.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAneurysm sizeLogistic regression modelsAortic aneurysmTomography scanCardiac surgeonsHigh-risk patient populationHigh-risk patientsAscending Aortic AneurysmLow clinical penetranceMedian aneurysm sizeYear of detectionPatterns of surveillanceMedian followCare patientsRegression modelsSurveillance imagingSurveillance intervalsPatient populationIncidental detectionFamily historyClinical penetrancePatientsPatient's aneurysmSilent killerTimely intervention
2020
Diagnosis of Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms by Computed Tomography Without Allometric Scaling
Yousef S, Mori M, Bin Mahmood SU, Assi R, Vallabhajosyula P, Geirsson A, Tellides G. Diagnosis of Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms by Computed Tomography Without Allometric Scaling. JAMA Network Open 2020, 3: e2023689. PMID: 33141157, PMCID: PMC7610193, DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.23689.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2013
Metabolic syndrome is associated with type II endoleak after endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair
Hall MR, Protack CD, Assi R, Williams WT, Wong DJ, Lu D, Muhs BE, Dardik A. Metabolic syndrome is associated with type II endoleak after endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. Journal Of Vascular Surgery 2013, 59: 938-943. PMID: 24360238, PMCID: PMC3966942, DOI: 10.1016/j.jvs.2013.10.081.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAgedAged, 80 and overAortic Aneurysm, AbdominalAortographyBlood Vessel Prosthesis ImplantationEndoleakEndovascular ProceduresHumansKaplan-Meier EstimateMaleMetabolic SyndromeMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesRisk FactorsTime FactorsTomography, X-Ray ComputedTreatment OutcomeUnited StatesUnited States Department of Veterans AffairsConceptsEndovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repairType II endoleakAbdominal aortic aneurysm repairAortic aneurysm repairBody mass indexAbdominal aortic aneurysmHigh-density lipoproteinAneurysm repairMetabolic syndromeMass indexAortic aneurysmSac expansionInfrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysmVeterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare SystemAneurysm sac expansionDevelopment of endoleaksNon-MetS groupAcute kidney injurySerum high-density lipoproteinPerioperative myocardial infarctionEndoleak typeMetS factorsMore endoleaksKidney injuryRadiologic surveillance